Erectable indoor shelter

ABSTRACT

An erectable shelter for indoor use, providing protection against threats associated with missiles. The shelter includes: one metal frame attached to at least one of the internal walls of an apartment; six protective walls attached to the frame for forming a shelter, wherein one wall covers the opening of the frame, four other walls are hinged on the frame, and another wall is hinged on a free edge of one side wall; and at least one strut connecting at least a ceiling wall with the frame.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of civilian security, aiming to provide protection against threats of war.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The fact that most of the population in small and especially in large cities live in apartments and are confined to indoor living quarters, impart some limitations as regards the issue of war time protection. A missile or a projectile or a fragment of a projectile or fragments of torn masonry elements may be the cause of direct physical damage to humans or to property. Additional mechanical threat can be created as explosive charges are activated, causing blasts and fear. The aim of the present invention is to address such issues by providing protection to some degree to apartment dwellers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An erectable shelter for indoor use, providing protection against threats associated with missiles. The shelter includes: one metal frame attached to at least one of the internal walls of an apartment; six protective walls attached to the frame for forming a shelter, wherein one wall covers the opening of the frame, four other walls are hinged on the frame, and another wall is hinged on a free edge of one side wall; and at least one strut connecting at least a ceiling wall with the frame.

Other features and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic top side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a wall section and deployed shelter top.

FIG. 1B is a schematic top side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing the roof wall deployed.

FIG. 2A is a schematic sectional side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a frame of the invention located between the ceiling and the floor of the apartment.

FIG. 2B is a schematic sectional side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a side wall vertically deployed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional top side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing two supporting walls arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of order of wall shelter unfolding in the course of shelter deployment with a notation, per each swiveling action where the hinged locus is, of which is the hinging orientation.

FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of a frame of the invention with floor in the state of deployment and a strut supporting the floor.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a shelter in accordance with the invention showing a side wall and frame to which it connects via hinges.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a shelter as in FIG. 6, with internal wall skeleton exposed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an unfoldable shelter is made available for inhabitants of houses or flats (apartments) inside multi-storied building or any other multi apartment living house. The basic embodiment of the invention is a packaged metal cube, or a prism having all adjacent faces at right angles to each other. The shelter can be unfolded or deployed within a room inside an apartment or a building, to form a secluded space surrounded on all six faces by a mechanically fortified wall. In another embodiment, the foldable construction is also equipped internally, with a gas and aerosol proof enclosure.

In FIG. 1A, s schematic presentation of a non deployed shelter is shown. In other words the shelter is folded, showing frame 22 attached to support wall 24, the support wall. Looking from above, in FIG. 1B, one of the walls is unfolded, forming a roof member 26. In FIGS. 2A and 2B a side view of a shelter of the invention is shown, first in FIG. 2A, frame 22 is backed by support wall 24, bottom floor 32 and ceiling 34 are each a part of the building. In FIG. 2B a side wall 38 of the shelter has been pulled out,

The Frame and its Anchorage

The frame is either supported by the wall with which the opening aligns (such as wall 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2). Alternatively, the frame can be attached to two vertical walls such as walls 42 and 44 in FIG. 3 Both supports are applicable separately or together.

Inside—Out Deployment

Generally, the walls of the shelter, including the roof and the floor, are pulled out of the frame, except for the one wall which remains covering the frame. Five walls are therefore pulled out. The shelter side walls (SSWs) are pulled from the frame each to each own side until they face each other, parallel. Then roof wall is pulled upwards and floor wall is pulled downwards. This order is exemplary and is summarized in flow chart at FIG. 4. Erection starts typically by exposing the folded shelter as it is typically concealed behind a curtain or a wall carpet. In step 62, the roof wall is lifted usually by a handle that helps pulling the part upwards, is hinged horizontally at the connection to the frame. In step 64 the floor wall is deflected, swiveling at the horizontal swivel. At step 66 a first vertical wall (right or left) is swiveled open sideways, hinged at one side of the frame. At step 68 the second vertical wall is swiveled open in the other direction, being hinged at the opposite side of the frame, as compared to the first vertical wall. At step 70, the closing vertical wall is swiveled open, being hinged at the free edge of one of the side walls.

Top and Bottom Faces of the Shelter

Reference is now made to FIG. 5, showing a floor wall of the shelter of the invention partially deflected. Floor 82 is deflected, shown in the image departed from frame 22 swiveled at hinge 84 (only rough zone shown). Frame 22 is supported by wall 24 as discussed above. Double headed arrow 86 shows the swiveling direction for opening or closing. A note is made that the drawing does not fully describe a realistic view in the sense that only one wall (the floor) is shown, whilst the others are not shown.

To ease the unfolding of the top and bottom walls (ceiling and floor respectively), struts may inserted for one or both flanks of the wall. As can be seen in FIG. 5, strut 88 connects the frame with the floor wall 82. The strut is typically a gas or vacuum strut that helps lifting the roof and prevents unintentional dropping. Struts can be applied at both sides or only at one side (as shown in the figure) of ceiling and floor. Typically, there are four struts, two for the floor and two for the ceiling.

Windows and Openings

In the side walls, and in the closing vertical wall, hatches or larger windows may be provided, typically with shielding shutter that can be closed or opened at will typically from the inside and possibly strengthened by latches or bolts or catches that must be openable. A door is typically provided in the closing vertical wall or/and in any of the vertical walls and is also equipped with one or more latches to secure it to the wall and/or floor and/or ceiling.

The Walls

The walls are connected via hinges to the frame. As can be seen in FIG. 6, frame 22 is connected by hinges 102 to wall 104. A connecting leg 108 connects the frame to a side support wall, not shown. The walls are typically made forming an internal skeleton made of metal such as hard steel, and covered by metal plates, typically inside and outside. The metal plates are typically made of steel or aluminum. This can be seen in FIG. 7, in which one of the covering plates is removed, exposing metal skeleton 112.

The walls are preferably equipped with one or more latches to secure to the floor and/or ceiling. Fastening latches may also provide a way by which the walls may be drawn closer and make contact with the ceiling/floor to decrease or prevent gap formation therebetween.

Protection Provided

The shelter of the invention is to provide protection against indirect missile hits. It is to protect against the pressure shock or blast, shrapnel, projectiles such as masonry debris, falling objects and to some extent bullet and hard sharp projectiles in general.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (Nbc) Threat Shelter

As additional embodiment, a shelter for protecting against biological and chemical and even nuclear hazard or biological hazards (weapon or non weapon) is provided, to be installed with the shelter of the invention. This additional shelter is in the form of an erectable tent, air tight, with provisions for filtering air. The tent is connected mechanically to the shelter (from the inside) using hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO® straps. Beth El Industries of 1 Avshalom Road Zikhron Yaakov, Israel provides filtration systems, such as purified air blower type LB 36 for providing purified air to such NBC shelters. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An erectable shelter for indoor use, providing protection against threats associated with missiles, said shelter comprising: one metal frame attached to at least one of the internal walls of an apartment; six protective walls attached to said frame for forming a shelter, wherein one wall covers the opening of said frame, and four other walls are hinged on said frame, and another wall is hinged on a free edge of one side wall; and at least one strut connecting at least a ceiling wall with said frame. 